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Saturday, January 19, 2013

Control the Controllable

Life is 10% what happens to you and
90% how you react to it – Charles R. Swindoll

A story is
told of two men who lived in a small village who got into a terrible dispute
that they could not resolve. So they went to the town sage. The first man went
to the sage’s home and told his version of what happened. When he finished, the
sage said, “You’re absolutely right.”

The next
night, the second man called on the sage and told his side of the story. The
sage responded, “You’re absolutely right.” Afterward, the sage’s wife scolded
her husband. “Those men told you two different stories and you told them they
were absolutely right. That’s impossible—they can’t both be absolutely right.”
The sage turned to his wife and said, “You’re absolutely right.” The sage
controlled how each man approached their dispute by the simple power of
agreement. How nice it would be if things really were so simple.

The humor
from that story is not lost on CEO’s who look at their prospects for 2013 and
how the global economy will affect their bottom line. A recent study released
by The Conference Board (http://ow.ly/gXDaN) highlights their thinking and how
they plan to approach this New Year with a different strategy. The point being,
external global economic factors may be out of their control but not everything
internally.

In data
collected between September and November 2012, over 700 senior executives were
asked to identify and rank the most pressing challenges they face, and their
strategies for addressing each one. Worldwide, human capital – how to best
develop, engage, manage, and retain talent- was named the leading challenge.
Operational excellence stood in second place, followed by innovation and
customer relationships. This new shift among CEO’s worldwide quite possibly
fits the running narrative for your company in 2013.

American
theologian Reinhold Niebur penned the words to what is commonly known as the
Prayer of Serenity. It reads, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I
cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know
the difference.” Like many CEO’s worldwide who participated in the survey your
plans may have shifted from the uncontrollable to the controllable. The
uncontrollable can be difficult to accept, but as you focus on what you can
your perspective begins to change. Here are a few tips to help you chart the
course and three questions you must answer going forward.

Bloom where you are
planted with an eye to the future. What is out of your control now can be a bright spot in your
future. Prepare today in order to prosper tomorrow. As you ride out external
cycles you can train your talent, develop their skills, and raise up your
leaders. When you bloom where you are planted you are putting down roots that
will position you for the long term. The future can be promising but only if
you are prepared.

Perfect your craft. Well within your control is the
quality of your product and how it is delivered. Take the time while you have it
to improve quality, delivery, and shore up customer relationships. Now is not
the time to stress over things out of your control. Take the initiative and
evaluate your systems, streamline for efficiency, and build your brand. It is
only as you prefect that which you can control you will be prepared for what is
now out of your control.

Create a culture of
innovation. The
survey highlights how important innovation is to your success. Rebecca Ray,
Senior Vice President, Human Capital with The Conference Board said, “As CEO
Challenge 2013 shows, human capital is not only a critical function in itself,
but is also intimately connected with innovation, operational excellence and
other challenges.”

Encourage
and promote a culture of innovation with your team. Welcome ideas, reward
innovation, and reap the benefits. Remove any and all barriers that stifle
create thinking and improvement. Being prepared for what’s next can’t be
achieved with narrow minds and lack of vision.

As a leader,
you have to answer these three questions: What is out of my control? And then
release it. What do I control? And then embrace it. What is the plan? And do
it.

What others are saying

> Doug has great insights into leadership that I enjoy and I know he will stimulate your thinking as well. -Mark Sanborn, Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek Bestselling author of The Fred Factor, Highlands Ranch, Colorado

> Our main purpose in selecting Doug as our seminar speaker was to promote organizational leadership in the administrative staffers who attend our annual seminar and help these same admins embrace the fact that you do not have to be the CEO of the company to be a leader. Doug met our target goals. We had outstanding feedback.- Jean Norris, Chapter President, IAAP, Oak Ridge, Tn

> I had the pleasure of hearing Doug speak at our Rotary Club meeting. His presentation was knowledgeable, entertaining, and right on target about leadership issues. Any organization that has the opportunity to hear Doug should jump at the chance.- Bob Wood, Past-President, Daniel Island Rotary Club, Daniel Island, SC

> Doug Dickerson spoke at our monthly networking luncheon for our business professionals and did a great job. He is easy to work with, very personable, and was a pleasure to have. His passion for great leadership shows in his books and in his presentation. -Glenda Scott, Covenant Christian Academy, Springfield, Missouri

> Doug is one of the most passionate executives I know... focused 100% on impacting others and growing leaders. He's such a gift in a world filled with shallow execu-talk. Doug is the real deal.-David Woods, CEO, Giant Partners, Edmond, Oklahoma

> Doug disseminates this knowledge (leadership) through poignant anecdotes and stories that can tug at our hearts…and through concrete advice that can make both our work lives and our career paths much easier to navigate. Bottom line? His work makes us think. And his words help us act. -Steve Winston, Winston Communications, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida